Jimbo's Naturally

Large, privately owned natural food market with locations in the San Diego area. Well-stocked with everything one needs including fresh organic produce, vitamins and supplements, herbs, alternative care products, books, bulk foods, grocery, and more. Has a fresh juice bar, desserts case, and a deli that includes many vegetarian and some vegan dishes. Seating outside. Open Mon-Sun 8:00am-9:00pm.

7 Reviews

This is the best sandwich. I go there weekly for this delicious sandwich. It's a hot sandwich with lots of veggies and house made chipotle vegan mayo. The house made tofu is incredible. They also have the best ever house made coconut cake with chocolate ganache. To die for. Call ahead to make sure they have it. It's not always available.

This store has a lot of vegan products around, reminds me of a not so corporate whole foods. They also have a deli section, and of a pretty good produce selection. A great store to stop by with many vegan options.

Jimbo's Naturally is a good store for fresh and local organic produce, refrigerated foods, and bulk foods.

I'm a vegan and whole grain kind of guy, so there are always lots of fresh organic fruits and vegetables to choose from and the bulk bins of organic grains, nuts, dried fruits, etc. bring joy to my heart. While Jimbo's is no "OB Peoples" (even though that's where he got his start,) it is convenient and complete and in the past 30 years, I've almost never been let down by the quality of the produce (and when I was, they promptly refunded or exchanged my purchase).

As with any brick-and-mortar store, it's a good idea to do some due-diligence around pricing for non-perishable products. Some times Jimbo's will have a great price on these products, and sometimes they will be significantly higher than can be purchased from an online store such as Vitacost.com.

The deli on the other hand seems oriented towards people who want dull, tasteless food, and with only a few exceptions, the baked goods don't satisfy either. It's a good thing that they give samples of anything you want to try so you don't end up spending a fist full of cash on a piece of cake or a hot food item only to be disappointed.

Thirty years ago, when I was shopping at OB Peoples, I got into the habit of thinking that "Health Food" stores wouldn't be selling meat. Of course, it's bee a long time since then and it's rare that any large natural foods store doesn't sell meat and Jimbo's is no exception. It's a bit ironic to think that in one isle the shelves are specifically stocked with "cruelty free" bodycare products and in another isle they sell slaughtered animals (Whether the animal lived a "happy" free-range life or not, it's hard to say that slaughter could in any way be "cruelty free.")

I must say that the majority of the cashiers at the Carlsbad store seem to be very demoralized. A few friends have worked there over the years and low pay, insignificant raises and long hours of standing were their chief complaints. At least Whole Foods provides their employees with a living wage, benefits and promotion opportunities.

I still shop at Jimbo's even though WF is closer to my house, mainly because of the organic produce and bulk items. I know that some of the other Jimbo's stores will give you a different experience.

I cannot believe the previous reviewers and I could possibly have gone to the same Jimbo's. This store is mediocre and actively getting worse.

As a plant-eater, fresh produce is extremely important to me. No matter what time of year it is, what day of the week it is, or what time of day it is - the produce here is always wilted, turning brown, and showing other signs of being well past its prime. More than once, I've come across veggies that were already turning slimy. I've never, ever had any other store try to pass off decomposing vegetables as "fresh".

Then there's the selection of vegan items...it keeps getting smaller, and isn't getting better. Case in point: Jimbo's recently dropped Daiya shreds in favor of Vegan Gourmet's (which are as bad as I remember, and not safe for my soy-allergic dad).

Then there are the employees. Some of them are okay, but some of them are clueless, unhelpful, or completely lacking in any listening comprehension skills. Lately, they've automatically tried to give me a wooden nickel AFTER I've told them "nickel back, please", and given me attitude when I politely re-stated my request for the nickel back. (I already donate to charity despite a small budget, and I'm trying to recoup the cost of my reusable bags, so don't pick on me for this.)

Also, the pricing is very high for a specialty store. With some products, I've had to pay *double* what Mother's Market (Orange County) charges for the same items.

The only reason I have shopped here is because it's the closest health food store to my dad's house. I've decided Jimbo's must not want my money very badly, and will be going to Whole Foods instead.

I love eating here and shopping for all our family needs. The Deli, Bakery and Juice Bar have ample options for hot and cold food. I like to grab a ready-made item for quickie or use the soup and salad bar to assemble a feast. I love ordering a sandwich when I have time to sit. The bakery is dangerous aand the staff are kind enough to sample. Excellent groceries where I don't have to read the label because they refuse to stock bad stuff.

I had read about this place on happycow, and stopped in on a past trip enroute to San Diego. Here's my Jimbo's Naturally review.

This is one of several Jimbo's locations in the greater San Diego county area. I had been here once some years back.

This is a very large store. The fresh produce section featured many organic items, and all the shelves in the market were well-stocked with just about everything a vegetarian/vegan and health conscious person would want.

The deli, however, was a disappointment when I went (it may have improved since, please check for yourself) - not in choices but in food taste. The deli area was a good size with many choices of cold items, pre-packaged and ready to eat foods. Many vegetarian items, some vegan (clearly labeled). There is also a desserts section that featured many vegan baked goods. In addition there is a fresh juice bar.

My husband and I shared a cabbage cole slaw (fresh but acidic), a warm rice pilaf (while labeled vegan, it tasted and smelled like meat), a veggie wrap (okay). We also got a hummus trio that was tasty. We also took away some vegan baked goods (still awaiting sampling). I think the problem with the deli department is that the prep staff did not know or care to make the food right or good. They probably followed a set of recipes but had not the skill to taste and make sure that the food turned out good. That's a shame.

All the food and grocery prices seemed reasonable and inexpensive and cheaper than Whole Foods Market.

The food and deli area has a desserts case that features many vegan options. I was impressed. I recently tried the vegan coconut chocolate cake, vegan brownie, and the almond cookie. All delicious. Go Jimbo's!